Ursus Remediation Testing & Technologies

Ursus has the experience and knowledge to design and implement testing for a specific project. Ursus will work with your staff and the regulatory agency to design testing to meet a specific project goal. Project studies may include modeling contaminant fate and transport, engineering design criteria, method development, and other chemistry testing. This service is useful when traditional standardized testing is not relevant or when a new test needs to be developed. Below is a sampling of the studies Ursus personnel have performed.

Analysis of Microcapsules used in Carbonless Paper. Developed an analytical procedure for measuring a dye surrogate compound to model the fate of PCB containing microcapsules used in carbonless paper during the 1960's. The procedure was designed to measure the dye surrogate under various industrial and environmental conditions.

Patented Treatment of Red Brass Faucets and Plumbing Fixtures. Developed treatment chemistry to remove leachable lead from red brass faucet and plumbing fixtures. The process is able to remove lead from brass such that drinking water in contact with the device would meet NSF 61 Standards for lead and receive Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certification. A patent has been issued on the treatment process (United States Patent 6,432,210).

Ultra–low-level Mercury Leaching of Soil and Cement Kiln Dust (CKD). A highly alkaline synthetic leachate was prepared and used to leach soil associated with a CKD pile to determine the mercury leaching potential of the soil. Leaching was conducted in a manner to minimize mercury contamination (leaching blanks were less than 1.0 ppt). Mercury specie analyses (total mercury and methylmercury) were conducted on soil, sediment, surface water, and laboratory prepared leachate. The results were used to investigate the source of mercury and the impact the form of mercury would have on the receiving surface water.

Ultra–low-level Mercury Leaching of Soil in Contact with Groundwater Associated with a Chlor-alkali Plant. Soil from an aquifer contaminated with mercury was leached with site groundwater to estimate the partitioning of mercury from the soil. Leaching was conducted in a manner to minimize mercury contamination (leaching blanks were less than 1.0 ppt). Specie-specific mercury analyses (total and methylmercury) were analyzed to examine the partitioning of mercury species from the soil.

Trace Level Groundwater Sampling for Mercury Absorption Study. Developed a unique approach to collect groundwater in a manner to maintain the redox potential of the groundwater for measurement of mercury adsorption capacity of various test materials. Groundwater was collected and directly injected into a zero headspace device containing the test materials. After equilibration, the treated groundwater was analyzed and the adsorption ability of the test material was evaluated. Samples were analyzed for total and methylmercury. Based on the data, recommendations were made on which material removed the most mercury in the most cost effective manner.

Analytical Field Method to Measure Dithiocarbamate DTC. Developed an analytical method to measure DTC in a wastewater, which took a total analytical time of less than 5 minutes. Results were used to optimize DTC treatment dosages for the removal of heavy metals.

Analysis and Collection of Samples in the Environment for Mercury Analysis (Green Bay, Wisconsin). Collected and analyzed emergent insects and sediment from aqueous environments for total mercury content. The results were used to determine the fate and transport of mercury. The analysis included the development of a microwave digestion technique for mercury, which significantly reduced the amount of sample preparation time and significantly reduced the background mercury contamination compared to traditional methods.